The Gospel and the Vulnerable: God’s Care for the Orphan and Widow
TODD AUGUSTINE, PASTOR OF CONGREGATIONAL LIFE, COLLEGE CHURCH
When people ask me, “How do you want to be introduced?” I usually propose they say, “This is Tim Keller, minister at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York
City”’ Of course, I am many other things, but that is the main thing I spend my time doing in public life.
Realize, then, how significant it is that the biblical writers introduce God as “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows” (Psalm 68:4-5). This is one of the
main things He does in the world. He identifies with the powerless. He takes up their cause.
Tim Keller, Generous Justice
Is this an issue for all Christians or only a select few?
As Christians we have a responsibility to care for the weak and helpless in our society, particularly the fatherless and the needy widow. We must recognize that
God has placed in us a call to go to the orphan to ease his or her suffering.
As believers we are called to engage others in a certain manner toward everyone. We are called to be compassionate, merciful, generous, kind, patient, loving,
wise and forgiving. We are called to do good to others, show honor, comfort, serve and show hospitality.
More specifically, God highlights three certain groups of people that he is concerned for and acts on behalf of: the orphan, the widow and the
sojourner/alien/foreigner. Each of these groups were particularly vulnerable in ancient near eastern society. The sojourner was vulnerable because he was an
outsider susceptible to the oppression of others.
The widow and orphan were also particularly vulnerable because they were left without protection in a society where the clan, made up of families, was the
basic social unit. The husband/father was the representative of his wife and children. Without a husband or father one was left without protection, security,
provision for basic material needs and someone to represent their interests in court (Job 31:21). Life was harsh which meant that the widow and the fatherless
were helpless, vulnerable and without rights or protection or anyone to stand up for them.
Hence, the orphan, the widow, the sojourner were objects of special concern to a merciful God. We fully understand the logic, don’t we? In a corrupt society,
the weak are in harm’s way. It was true in the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and it is true today. Such a society will inevitably extort the sojourner, wrong the
widow and exploit the fatherless. These were the injustices of ancient culture as well as modern day societies. So God acts on behalf of the weak, the helpless,
the vulnerable.
I’m going to focus primarily on orphans but most of what I saw applies principally to widows and sojourners. Orphans are representative in a sense, of the
helpless, vulnerable of our society. I want to do three things this morning: 1) look at the Biblical rationale, 2) examine the current state of affairs, and 3) answer
the question “What can I do?”
The Gospel: Orphans & Widows
T ODD A UGUSTINE
God’s Attitude Toward the Orphan – How does God respond to the orphan?
1. Paternal care as a loving father
a. God cares for orphans
i. Psalm 68:5 - father of the fatherless
ii. Hosea 14:3 – in you the orphan finds mercy
b. God helps orphans
i. Psalm 10:14 – help for the fatherless
2. Provides
a. God provides for orphans
i. Deuteronomy 14:28-29; 26:12-13 every 3 years/tithe goes to the orphan, widows and sojourners – charitable fund (first DAF) for the
fatherless
b. God sustains orphans
i. Psalm 146:9 – upholds the widow and the fatherless
3. Protects
a. God defends orphans
i. Deuteronomy 10:17-18 – executes justice for the fatherless, widow…
ii. Psalm 10:17-18 – you incline your ear to do justice for the fatherless
b. God protects orphans
i. Jeremiah 49:11 – “leave your fatherless children, I will keep them alive”
4. Prohibits oppression
a. God prohibits the oppression of orphans – treat justly
i. Jeremiah 22:3 – do no wrong to the resident alien, widow, orphan
ii. Zechariah 7:8, 10 – do not oppress the widow, foreigner, sojourner
b. God consider the oppression of orphans a serious offense
i. Jeremiah 7:2-7 – if you do not oppress the sojourner, foreigner, widow then I will dwell among you
c. God promises to punish the oppressors of orphans
1. Exodus 22:22-24
2. Isaiah 1:23-25
3. Isaiah 10:1-2
4. Jeremiah 5:27-29
5. Ezekiel 22:7,13
6. Malachi 3:5
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Our Attitude Toward the Orphan – How are we called to respond to the fatherless?
1. The believer’s duty to orphans
a. CARE for orphans – go to the orphan and ease their suffering
i. Job 31:16-19, 21-23
ii. James 1:27 – visit orphans and widows in their affliction
b. PROTECT - Detest the oppression of orphans
i. Psalm 94:1-6 – God of vengeance, shine forth...on those who murder the fatherless
ii. Proverb 23:10 – do not enter the fields of the fatherless
c. PRAY FOR - Entreat God to deliver
i. Job 24:1-3 – some who drive away the donkey of the fatherless, take the widow’s ox. Jud them, O God.
ii. Psalm 82:3 – Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the
needy.
d. PROVIDE FOR - Give generously to orphans
i. Deuteronomy 24:19-21 – give the remainder from your harvest, olive trees and vineyards to the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow
e. Involve orphans in the worshiping community
i. Deuteronomy 16:9-11 – Feast of Weeks
ii. Deuteronomy 16:13-15 – Feast of Booth
f. Treat orphans justly
i. Isaiah 1:17 – learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause
ii. Deuteronomy 27:19 – Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. And all the people
shall say, “Amen.”
iii. Deuteronomy 24:17-18 – You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow’s garment in pledge,
but you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there…
Why Are We Called to Respond this Way? What is the Biblical Rationale? What is the Divine Logic of Orphan Care?
1. Because I have redeemed you – in other words, because of the Gospel! You were once enslaved and fatherless, unprotected, without rights or standing
or privilege. With no one to represent you, no one to look out for you, ultimately in peril, in danger, in harm’s way. And yet God adopted you! Redeemed
you! “You shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow's garment in pledge, but you shall remember that you
were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore, I command you to do this. “When you reap your harvest in your field
and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, that the Lord your God may bless
you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the
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The Gospel: Orphans & Widows
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. You
shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore, I command you to do this. Deuteronomy 24:17-24
You are weak, vulnerable and helpless apart from God’s redeeming love – through Christ.
God is merciful and if you have received his mercy then so you are to extend it to the vulnerable.
We are called to be like our Father in heaven, because we are his children.
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness.” Exodus 34:6
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:36
If you miss the biblical rationale, then you will only be about social justice.
What is the Current State of Affairs Regarding the Fatherless?
Global Orphan Statistics:
 Total estimated number of orphans worldwide: 130 Million
 Estimated number that have lost only their mother: 34.5 Million
 Estimated number that have lost only their father: 101 Million
 Estimated number of “double orphans”: 17.6 million
 Estimated number of children on streets or in residential care: 2-8 Million
Number of caring adults it takes to make a life-long difference for an orphan: 1
How great is the need?
 There are an estimated 132 million orphans worldwide -- children who have lost one or both parents. (according to UNICEF)
 According to UNICEF estimates, there are 13 million orphans who have lost both parents and are living in orphanages or on the streets and lack the care
and attention required for healthy development.
 HIV/AIDS has orphaned 17.9 children, most in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. A child loses a parent to AIDS every 14 seconds.
 The majority of these children are in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
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The Gospel: Orphans & Widows
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Global Orphan Challenge
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The Gospel: Orphans & Widows
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Inter-Country Adoption Statistics:
 Over the past decade, 179,719 children from around the world were welcomed into families in the U.S. through inter-country adoption.
 6441 inter-country adoptions took place in 2014.
•
Top 5 sending countries in 2014 were China, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Haiti, and South Korea.
 Inter-country Adoption has decreased 72% from its high in 2004 due primarily to restrictions by sending countries.
 International adoption of orphans has been on a precipitous decline over the last decade.
U.S. Trend in International Adoption:
25,000
20,675
20,000
19,601
17,449
15,000
12,744
11,058
10,000
9,319 8,667
7,092 6,438
5,647
5,000
0
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
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2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
The Gospel: Orphans & Widows
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Incoming Adoptions by Country of Origin:
CHINA
2040
ETHIOPIA
716
UKRAINE
521
HAITI
464
SOUTH KORIEA
370
CONG
230
UGANDA
201
BULGARIA
183
PHILLIPPINES
172
COLUMBIA
172
INDIA
136
NIGERIA
130
GHANA
124
LATVIA
80
TAIWAN
69
JAMAICA
61
0
Series1
500
1000
Jamaica
Taiwan
Latvia
Ghana
Nigeria
India
Columbia
61
69
80
124
130
136
172
1500
Phillippin
Bulgaria
es
172
183
2000
Uganda
Cong
201
230
South
Koriea
370
Domestic Adoption Statistics
 Children in foster care in the U.S.: 402,378
 Number of U.S. Children awaiting adoption: 101,840, nearly 1/3 will wait over three years before being adopted
 Every year more than 20,000 young people in the U.S. foster care system age out with no support or family
 Average age of U.S. children awaiting adoption: 7 years, 7 months
7
2500
Haiti
Ukraine
Ethiopia
China
464
521
716
2040
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Foster Care Statistics
 Children entering foster care in 2013: 254,904
 Children exiting foster care in 2013: 238,280
 Average time in care within the foster system: 21.8 Months
 Children “aging out” of the foster system in 2012: 23,090
 Number of children in care whose parental rights were terminated in 2013: 58,887
 Approximate number of children adopted from foster care in 2013: 50,281
 Number of caring adults it takes to make a life-long difference for a child in the foster system: 1
The Cost of Adoption
 The Child Welfare Information Gateway, a government-funded adoption information service, estimates the average U.S. adoption costs of various types
of adoptions:
 Intercountry Adoptions — $15,000 - $30,000
 Independent Adoptions — $8,000 - $40,000+
 Licensed Private Agency Adoptions — $5,000 - $40,000+
 Facilitated/Unlicensed Adoptions — $5,000 - $40,000+
 Public Agency (Foster Care) Adoptions — $0 - $2,500
How Can I Care for the Fatherless? (from Hope for Orphans)
 Pray for them
 Defend them, speak up for them
 Provide for their needs
 Support those who support them
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 Protect them
 Visit them where they are
 Give sacrificially to them
 Encourage them
 Foster them or be a Safe Family
 Adopt them
Application: What Can I do?
9 Ways Every Christian Can Care for the Orphan and Waiting Child (from Hope for Orphans)
1. PRAY for them
a. Tape a waiting child’s picture to your dashboard and pray for the child every time you’re in a car. Visit AdoptUsKids.org or RainbowKids.com
b. Organize an evening prayer vigil at your church and pray for children in foster care or an orphanage overseas.
2. SPEAK UP for them
a. Carry a waiting child’s picture and show it to other believers. Ask if they, or someone they know, would give this child a home.
b. Become a court appointed special advocate for a child in foster care. Visit NationalCASA.org for details.
3. PROVIDE for their needs
a. Give sacrificially to a reputable orphanage. Financial gifts can be designated for specific items and aid needed by orphans.
b. Organize a drive in your church to collect school supplies for children in foster care or shoes for orphans overseas. Visit GainUSA.org or
ShoesForOrphanSouls.org.
4. SUPPORT those who support them
a. Mow lawns, babysit, or organize meals for a week for foster parents. Pray with them and tell them you appreciate what they do.
b. Encourage a family adopting an older child by hosting a shower for them.
5. PROTECT them from harm
a. Become a foster parent or emergency foster parent. Visit the Safe Families website.
b. Raise money to build a children’s home to help remove children from the streets. Visit WorldOrphans.org for details.
6. VISIT them where they are
a. Go on a mission trip to an orphanage as an individual or family. Visit GainUSA.org for information.
b. Take dinner to a foster group home on a regular basis.
7. GIVE sacrificially to them
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a. Support reputable orphan care organizations on a regular basis.
b. Contribute generously to an adoptive family to help offset their costs. Visit ShowHope.org or LifeSongForOrphans.org
8. ENCOURAGE them to press on
a. Sponsor a child, support them financially and encourage them through your letters. Visit VisionTrust.org to learn more.
b. Become a mentor or tutor to a teenager in a foster group home.
9. ADOPT them into your family
a. Give a child a home through international, domestic or foster care adoption.
b. Adopt a young adult who has aged out of the system.
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The Gospel: Orphans & Widows
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The Gospel and Orphans and Widows
Bibliography
Cruver, Dan. Reclaiming adoption: missional living through the rediscovery of Abba Father. Adelphi, Maryland: Cruciform Press, 2011. Print.
If you were mine: a workshop for those exploring adoption. Hope for Orphans, 2008. DVD
Medefind, Jedd. Becoming home: adoption, foster care, and mentoring-- living out God's heart for orphans. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013. Print.
Merida, Tony, and Rick Morton. Orphanology: awakening to Gospel-centered adoption and orphan care. Birmingham, AL: New Hope Publishers, 2011. Print.
Moore, Russell. Adopted for life: the priority of adoption for Christian families and churches. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2015. Print.
Olasky, Susan, and Marvin N. Olasky. More than kindness: a compassionate approach to crisis childbearing. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books, 1990. Print.
Ostyn, Mary. Forever mom: what to expect when you're adopting. Nashville, Tennessee: Nelson Books, 2014. Print.
Schooler, Jayne E., and Thomas Atwood. The whole life adoption book: realistic advice for building a healthy adoptive family. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress,
2008. Print.
Helpful websites:
CAFO (Christian Alliance for Orphans)
Together for Adoption
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